The present invention relates to an engine alignment jig assembly for positioning the output shaft of an engine to a correct position when the engine is installed in the hull of a small watercraft, and a method of positioning the engine using such engine alignment jig assembly.
Various types of planing watercrafts are known. One such known planing watercraft is a jet propulsion watercraft, in which a jet pump installed in a rear part of a hull is driven by an engine to rotate an impeller thereof so that water is pumped up from the bottom of the hull and a pressurized stream of water is ejected backward of the hull to thereby propel the watercraft. Since the impeller of the jet pump is designed to rotate at high speeds within the stator, the stator needs to be correctly positioned with respect to the impeller.
Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2000-62688 (JP 2000-62688 A) discloses a jet propulsion unit mounting structure of a small boat, in which for correct positioning of a stator relative to an impeller, a vertical positioning first claw and a horizontal positioning second claw are provided on a hull of the boat so that they are in abutment with a first stopper portion and a second stopper portion, respectively, of a stator thereby to position the stator in both vertical and horizontal directions.
Additional to the positioning of the stator relative to the impeller, it is also important that a rotating shaft of the impeller is aligned with the output shaft of an engine to secure transmission of power from the engine to the impeller. To this end, when the engine is installed in the hull, the output shaft of the engine is aligned with the rotating shaft of the impeller. A conventional engine output-shaft alignment operation will be described with reference to FIG. 25.
As shown in FIG. 25, a small planing watercraft includes an engine 152 installed in a hull 150 of the watercraft via four engine mounts 151 (two being shown). The engine mounts 150 are attached to the hull 150. The engine 152 has an output shaft 153 connected via a coupling assembly 154a, 154b to a drive axle or shaft 155. The drive shaft 155 has a rear end spline-connected to a rotating shaft 157 of an impeller 156. Rotation of the engine output shaft 153 can thus be transmitted to the impeller 156. To secure smooth connection of the engine output shaft 153 and the impeller rotating shaft 157 via the drive shaft 155, the engine output shaft 153 must be aligned with the rotating shaft 157 of the impeller 156.
To this end, in the process of installing the engine 152 in the hull 150, the impeller 156 is assembled within a stator 158, and the drive shaft 155 is spline-connected to the rotating shaft 157 of the impeller 156. Then, the engine 152 while being lifted by a crane (not shown) is moved up and down, left and right or forward and backward until the output shaft 153 of the engine 152 is correctly aligned with the drive shaft 155
During that time, in order to secure correct alignment between the engine output shaft 153 and the drive shaft 155, a fine positional adjustment of the engine 152 is needed wherein the engine 152 is moved bit by bit in almost all directions. At the same time, the engine 152 must be also positioned relative to the engine mounts 151. However, since the engine 152 is a heavy component, the foregoing engine positioning operation requires a dexterous crane work, which will impose a great burden on the operator. Thus, the conventional engine installation work requires a relatively long time, and the productivity of the small planing watercraft is relatively low.
It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide an engine alignment jig assembly for a small watercraft, which enables the operator to position an engine correctly in a relatively short time without requiring dexterity, thereby reducing the necessary engine installation time.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of positioning an engine using such jig assembly.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an engine alignment jig assembly used for installing an engine in a hull of a small watercraft via four engine mounts in such a manner that an output shaft of the engine is in alignment with a rotating shaft of a propulsion unit of the watercraft. The engine alignment jig assembly comprises an engine positioning jig for positioning the engine mounts relative to the rotating shaft of the propulsion unit, the engine positioning jig including an engine lower part dummy constructed to resemble a lower half of the engine. The engine lower part dummy includes a generally rectangular skeleton frame having substantially the same size in plan view as the lower half of the engine, four screws each provided at a respective corner of the rectangular skeleton frame and adapted to be threaded in a corresponding one of the engine mounts to attach the engine lower part dummy to the engine mounts, wherein two adjacent ones of the screws that are disposed on a bow side of the watercraft form left and right front screws, and the remaining two screws that are disposed on a stern side of the watercraft opposite the bow side form left and right rear screws, a front through-hole formed in the skeleton frame with a center thereof disposed between the left and right front screws and aligned with an axis of the rotating shaft of the propulsion unit, and a rear through-hole formed in the skeleton frame with a center thereof disposed between the left and right rear screws and aligned with the axis of the rotating shaft of the propulsion unit.
Since the engine lower part dummy is much smaller in weight than a real engine, so that positioning of the engine mounts can be achieved easily in a relatively short time without requiring a dexterous crane work. A subsequent engine mount work does not require adjustment of the position between the engine and the engine mounts, so that the watercraft can be manufactured with improved productivity and at a relatively low cost.
Preferably, the engine positioning jig further includes a centering shaft adapted to be inserted through the front and rear through-holes of the engine lower part dummy while assuming a position of the rotating shaft of the propulsion unit, so as to position the engine mounts with respect to a vertical direction, a widthwise direction and a lengthwise direction of the watercraft through displacements of the engine lower part dummy in the respective directions relative to the centering shaft.
In one preferred form of the invention, the front through-hole of the engine lower part dummy has an inside diameter smaller than an inside diameter of the rear through-hole, the centering shaft includes a first portion and a second portion coaxial with each other and adapted to be simultaneously received in the front and rear through-holes, respectively, such that a loose fit is formed between each of the through-holes and a corresponding one of the shaft portions, and the engine positioning jig further includes means for determining an offset in the vertical direction of the center of each through-hole from an axis of the corresponding shaft portion. The means for determining an offset comprises a gauge block having a series of steps formed on one side thereof and adapted to be inserted between each through-hole and the corresponding shaft portion. The skeleton frame may have a groove extending radially outward in a vertical direction from each of the front and rear through-holes for receiving part of the gauge block. Alternatively, the means for determining an offset may comprise an ultrasonic depth indicator provided on the skeleton frame adjacent each of the front and rear through-holes for measuring a vertical thickness of a clearance between each through-hole and the corresponding shaft portion.
The centering shaft may further include a third portion and a fourth portion coaxial with each other and adapted to be simultaneously received in the front and rear through-holes, respectively, such that a sliding fit is formed between each of the through-holes and a corresponding one of the shaft portions, the third and fourth shaft portions being disposed behind the first and second shaft portions, respectively, when viewed in a direction of insertion of the centering shaft through the front and rear through-holes.
The engine lower part dummy may further include a lock device engageable with a part of the centering shaft to lock the engine lower part dummy in position against movement relative to the centering shaft in an axial direction of the centering shaft. Preferably, the centering shaft further has a circumferential groove disposed adjacent the third shaft portion, and the lock device has a hollow case mounted to the skeleton frame adjacent the front through-hole and having an open end facing toward a common axis of the front and rear through-holes, a pair of locking prongs slidably received in the case and snugly receivable in the circumferential groove of the centering shaft, and a spring acting between the case and the locking prongs to urge the locking prongs in a direction to project outward from the open end of the case. The locking prongs are symmetrical in configuration with respect to a vertical plane passing through the center of the front through-hole.
Preferably, for use with a watercraft having a propulsion unit composed of a jet pump mounted via a thrust plate to a vertical wall of the hull, the engine positioning jig further includes a pump dummy adapted to be mounted to the thrust plate and having a plurality of coaxial support holes slidably receptive of longitudinal portions of the centering shaft for supporting the centering shaft in such a manner that the centering shaft assumes the position of the rotating shaft of the jet pump. The centering shaft may further include a semicircular flange, and the pump dummy has a substantially semicircular locking projection extending along a half of the perimeter of one of the support holes and releasably engageable with the semicircular flange to lock the centering shaft in position against axial movement relative to the pump dummy.
Preferably, for use with a watercraft having a propulsion unit composed of a jet pump mounted via a thrust plate to a vertical wall of the hull, and a pair of coupling members provided on the output shaft of the engine and a rotating shaft of the jet pump to join the output shaft and the rotating shaft, the engine alignment jig assembly further comprises a position inspection jig for inspecting the position of the output shaft of the engine which has been mounted on the engine mounts positioned by using the engine positioning jig. The position inspection jig includes an inspection pump dummy adapted to be mounted to the thrust plate and having a plurality of support holes coaxial with the rotating shaft of the jet pump, an inspection shaft adapted to be inserted through the support holes of the inspection pump dummy so as to assume the position of the rotating shaft of the jet pump, and an inspection coupler adapted to be slidably mounted on an end portion of the inspection shaft for movement toward and away from one coupling member on. the output shaft so as to inspect the coupling member for axial position and alignment error relative to the other coupling member on the rotating shaft of the jet pump.
In one preferred form of the invention, the position inspection jig further includes a lock device for locking the inspection shaft in position against axial movement relative to the inspection pump dummy. The inspection coupler has a cylindrical wall having an inside diameter slightly larger than an outside diameter of the coupling member provided on the output shaft for fitting engagement with an outer circumferential surface of the coupling member, and a locking device for locking the inspection coupler in position against movement relative to the inspection shaft when the inspection coupler is located in a predetermined inspecting position in which the inspection coupler is spaced a distance from the coupling member on the output shaft. The lock device of the position inspection jig may include a radial lock pin having opposite ends projecting radially outward from a circumferential surface of the inspection shaft, and a circular locking socket extending around one of the support holes for interlocking engagement with the lock pin, the locking socket having an oblong hole extending radially across the center of the circular locking socket to allow the lock pin to enter the locking socket. The locking device of the inspection coupler may include a radial locking hole formed in the end portion of the inspection shaft, and a locking knob having a threaded shank threaded in the inspection coupler and having a positioning pin formed at a front end of the threaded shank, the positioning pin being receivable in the radial locking hole of the inspection shaft.
In another preferred form of the invention, the position inspection jig further includes a lock device for locking the inspection shaft in position against axial movement relative to the inspection pump dummy. The inspection coupler has a cylindrical wall having an inside diameter slightly larger than an outside diameter of the coupling member provided on the output shaft for fitting engagement with an outer circumferential surface of the coupling member, and an axial position sensor disposed on the inspection coupler for detecting the arrival of the inspection coupler at a predetermined inspecting position in which the inspection coupler is spaced a distance from the coupling member on the output shaft. The axial position sensor may comprise a photosensor.
Preferably, the position inspection jig further includes at least three ultrasonic depth indicators provided on the cylindrical wall of the inspection coupler and spaced at equal angular intervals in a circumferential direction of the cylindrical wall for indicating the amount of an alignment error of the output shaft relative to the rotating shaft. The position inspection jig may further include an additional ultrasonic depth indicator provided on the inspection coupler for measuring an axial distance between the inspection coupler and the coupling member on the output shaft.
In a further preferred form of the invention, the position inspection jig further includes a lock device for locking the inspection shaft in position against axial movement relative to the inspection pump dummy. The inspection coupler has a cylindrical wall having an inside diameter slightly larger than an outside diameter of the coupling member provided on the output shaft for fitting engagement with an outer circumferential surface of the coupling member, and a visual position indicator for visually indicating the position of the inspection coupler relative to the inspection shaft to determine whether or not the coupling member on the output shaft is in a correct position relative to the coupling member on the rotating shaft when the inspection coupler is in abutment with the coupling member on the output shaft. The visual position indicator may comprise a rear end face of the inspection coupler forming a reference line of the position indicator, and three circumferential grooves formed in the end portion of the inspection shaft for forming graduates of the position indicator, the three circumferential grooves are spaced equidistantly and two of the three circumferential grooves that are disposed on opposite side of the remaining circumferential groove are spaced by a distance equal to a maximum allowable range of the axial position of the output shaft of the engine.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of installing an engine in a hull of a small watercraft via four engine mounts in such a manner that an output shaft of the engine is in alignment with a rotating shaft of a propulsion unit of the watercraft. The method comprises the steps of: providing an engine positioning jig for positioning the engine mounts relative to the rotating shaft of the propulsion unit, the engine positioning jig having the same construction as described above with respect to the first aspect of the invention; fixedly mounting the engine lower part dummy on the engine mounts while the engine mounts are kept temporarily fastened to the hull in such a manner that the engine mounts are allowed to move in all of a vertical direction, a widthwise direction and a lengthwise direction of the watercraft to some extent; positioning the engine mounts in the vertical direction, widthwise direction and lengthwise direction, respectively, of the watercraft through displacements of the engine lower part dummy in the respective directions relative to the rotating shaft; then, firmly securing the engine mounts to the full; thereafter, removing the engine lower part dummy from the engine mounts; and finally, mounting the engine on the engine mounts to thereby install the engine in the hull of the watercraft.
The step of positioning the engine mounts is preferably achieved by: inserting a centering shaft through the front and rear through-holes of the engine lower part dummy while supporting the centering shaft in such a manner that the centering shaft assumes a position of the rotating shaft of the propulsion unit; determining an offset in the vertical direction of the center of each through-hole from an axis of the centering shaft; canceling out the offset to thereby achieve positioning of the engine mounts in the vertical direction of the watercraft; then, performing positioning of the engine mounts in the widthwise direction of the watercraft while the centering shaft is used as a reference for the widthwise positioning; and thereafter, performing positioning of the engine mounts in the lengthwise direction of the watercraft while the centering shaft is used as a reference for the lengthwise positioning.
In a preferred form of the invention, the front through-hole of the engine lower part dummy has an inside diameter smaller than an inside diameter of the rear through-hole, the engine lower part dummy further has a spring loaded locking device for interlocking engagement with a circumferential groove formed in the centering shaft. The centering shaft includes a first portion and a second portion coaxial with each other and adapted to be simultaneously received in the front and rear through-holes, respectively, such that a loose fit is formed between each of the through-holes and a corresponding one of the first and second shaft portions. The centering shaft further includes a third portion and a fourth portion coaxial with each other and adapted to be simultaneously received in the front and rear through-holes, respectively, such that a sliding fit is formed between each of the through-holes and a corresponding one of the third and fourth shaft portions. The third and fourth shaft portions are disposed behind the first and second shaft portions, respectively, when viewed in a direction of insertion of the centering shaft through the front and rear through-holes. The determining an offset is achieved by: advancing the centering shaft in the direction of insertion until the first and second shaft portions are loosely received in the front and rear through-holes, respectively; and measuring the thickness of a clearance formed between each of the first and second shaft portions and a corresponding one of the front and rear through-holes in the vertical direction. The performing positioning of the engine mount in the widthwise direction is achieved by: while the engine lower part dummy is being slightly displaced in the widthwise direction relative to the centering shaft, further advancing the centering shaft in the direction of insertion until the third and fourth shaft portions are slidably received in the front and rear through-holes, respectively. And, the performing positioning of the engine mounts in the lengthwise direction is carried out by: displacing the engine lower part dummy in an axial direction of the centering shaft until the spring-loaded locking device on the engine lower part dummy fits in the circumferential groove of the centering shaft.
In the foregoing method, the step of canceling out the offset is achieved by: selecting a shim having a thickness determined on the basis of a thickness of the measured clearance; and placing the shim between a respective engine mount and the hull of the watercraft. The measuring the thickness of a clearance is carried out by insetting a gauge block into the clearance, the gauge block having a series of steps on one side thereof, or alternatively, by activating an ultrasonic depth indicator provided on the skeleton frame adjacent each of the front and rear through-holes, the ultrasonic depth indicator being disposed in a vertical plane passing through the center of the respective through-hole.
For use with a watercraft having a propulsion unit composed of a jet pump mounted via a thrust plate to a vertical wall of the hull, and a pair of coupling members provided on the output shaft of the engine and an rotating shaft of the jet pump to join the output shaft and the rotating shaft, the method may further comprise the steps of: attaching an inspection pump dummy to the thrust plate, the inspection pump dummy being so shaped to resemble the jet pump and having a plurality of coaxial support holes aligned with a rotating shaft of the jet pump; then, inserting an inspection shaft through the support holes of the inspection pump dummy so that the inspection shaft is supported in a position to assume a position of the rotating shaft of the jet pump; and thereafter, performing an inspection of the output shaft for axial position and alignment error relative to the inspection shaft.
In one preferred form of the invention, the performing an inspection of the output shaft comprises: mounting an inspection coupler on a fore-end portion of the inspection shaft so that the inspection coupler is slidably movable along the inspection shaft in a direction toward and away from the coupler provided on the engine output shaft, the inspection coupler including a cylindrical wall having an inside diameter slightly larger than an outside diameter of the coupling member on the output shaft; then, displacing the inspection coupler along the inspection shaft until the inspection coupler is located in a predetermined inspecting position where the inspection coupler is spaced a distance from the coupling member on the output shaft in the axial direction of the inspection shaft; thereafter, measuring an axial space between the inspection coupler and the coupling member to thereby determine whether or not the output shaft is correctly positioned in the lengthwise direction of the watercraft; and subsequently, displacing the inspection coupler toward the coupling member on the output shaft to thereby determine whether or not the output shaft is in correct alignment with the rotating shaft of the jet pump depending on the occurrence of a fitting engagement between the cylindrical wall of the inspection coupler and the coupling member on the output shaft. It is preferable that, when the fitting engagement between the cylindrical wall of the inspection coupler and the coupling member on the output occurs, the amount of an alignment error is measured by at least three ultrasonic depth indicators provided on the cylindrical wall of the inspection coupler and spaced at equal intervals in a circumferential direction of the cylindrical wall.
In another preferred form of the invention, the performing an inspection of the output shaft comprises: mounting an inspection coupler on a fore-end portion of the inspection shaft so that the inspection coupler is slidably movable along the inspection shaft in a direction toward and away from the coupler provided on the engine output shaft, the inspection coupler including a cylindrical wall having an inside diameter slightly larger than an outside diameter of the coupling member on the output shaft; then, displacing the inspection coupler toward the coupling member on the output shaft to thereby determine whether or not the output shaft is in correct alignment with the rotating shaft of the jet pump depending on the occurrence of a fitting engagement between the cylindrical wall of the inspection coupler and the coupling member on the output shaft, further displacing the inspection coupler toward the coupling member until the inspection coupler is located in a predetermined inspecting position where the inspection coupler is spaced a distance from the coupling member on the output shaft in the axial direction of the inspection shaft; and thereafter, measuring an axial space between the inspection coupler and the coupling member to thereby determine whether or not the output shaft is correctly positioned in the lengthwise direction of the watercraft. The axial space between the inspection coupler and the coupling member may be measured by an ultrasonic depth indicator provided on the inspection coupler.
In a still further preferable form of the invention, the performing an inspection of the output shaft comprises: mounting an inspection coupler on a fore-end portion of the inspection shaft so that the inspection coupler is slidably movable along the inspection shaft in a direction toward and away from the coupler provided on the engine output shaft, the inspection coupler including a cylindrical wall having an inside diameter slightly larger than an outside diameter of the coupling member on the output shaft and a rear end surface serving as a reference line of a visual axial position indicator, and the inspection shaft having three circumferential grooves spaced equidistantly with two outer grooves spaced by a distance equal to a maximum allowable range of the axial position of the output shaft; then, displacing the inspection coupler toward the coupling member on the output shaft to thereby determine whether or not the output shaft is in correct alignment with the rotating shaft of the jet pump depending on the occurrence of a fitting engagement between the cylindrical wall of the inspection coupler and the coupling member on the output shaft, further displacing the inspection coupler toward the coupling member until the inspection coupler abuts on the coupling member; and thereafter, checking the position of the rear end face of the inspection coupler relative to the circumferential grooves of the inspection shaft to thereby determine whether or not the output shaft is correctly positioned in the lengthwise direction of the watercraft.